Platform guide
All Mario 3DS games
Twenty-three Mario cartridges came out for the Nintendo 3DS in Europe between 2011 and 2019 — more than on any other Nintendo handheld. Three of them carry a different name here than in America, the eShop closed in 2023 so a cartridge is the only way left to buy any of them, and the same console also plays every Mario DS card.
The short answer
Start with Super Mario 3D Land or Mario Kart 7 — both from 2011, both common, both among the best games on the system. Then Luigi’s Mansion 2 (called Dark Moon in America) for something longer, and Super Smash Bros. if more than one of you plays. All twenty-three run on any 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS, New 3DS or New 2DS XL.
Every Mario 3DS cartridge, in release order
| Game (European title) | Year (EU) | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Super Mario 3D Land | 2011 | 3D platformer |
| Mario Kart 7 | 2011 | Racing |
| Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games | 2012 | Sports — crossover |
| Mario Tennis Open | 2012 | Sports |
| New Super Mario Bros. 2 | 2012 | 2D platformer |
| Paper Mario: Sticker Star | 2012 | RPG — Paper Mario |
| Luigi's Mansion 2 US: Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon | 2013 | Action-adventure |
| Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros. US: Mario & Luigi: Dream Team | 2013 | RPG |
| Mario Party: Island Tour | 2014 | Party — board game |
| Yoshi's New Island | 2014 | 2D platformer — Yoshi |
| Mario Golf: World Tour | 2014 | Sports |
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | 2014 | Fighting |
| Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition | 2015 | Puzzle RPG |
| Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. US: Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam | 2015 | RPG |
| Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games | 2016 | Sports — crossover |
| Mario Party: Star Rush | 2016 | Party — board game |
| Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS | 2016 | Level creator |
| Mario Sports Superstars | 2017 | Sports — five in one |
| Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions | 2017 | RPG — GBA remake |
| Mario Party: The Top 100 | 2017 | Party — minigame collection |
| Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker | 2018 | Puzzle — Wii U port |
| Luigi's Mansion | 2018 | Action-adventure — GameCube remake |
| Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey | 2019 | RPG — DS remake |
The twelve worth weighing up
The bridge between the 2D and 3D Marios: short, tightly designed levels in three dimensions, with a run button and a tail. Of every 3DS game this is the one that uses the stereoscopic 3D best, because here the depth is information you need to judge a jump. Common and cheap; the obvious first buy.
Gliding, underwater driving and kart parts you choose yourself. Still the most-asked-for 3DS game in the shop, and the reason plenty of these consoles are still in use. Online play is gone; local racing with seven friends is not.
New Super Mario Bros. 2 (2012)
The side-scroller built entirely around coins — a million of them, counted across every save. Lighter than the DS original and easier, which makes it a good one for a younger player and a slightly hollow one for anybody else.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star (2012)
Battles fought with stickers you peel off the walls, and no experience points at all. The most divisive Paper Mario, and the cheapest — worth it if you like the puzzling, frustrating if you came for the RPG.
Luigi's Mansion 2 (2013) — Dark Moon in America
The European box says Luigi’s Mansion 2, the American one Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. Same game. Built for the 3DS rather than ported to it, split into missions instead of one house, and much longer than the GameCube original.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros. (2013)
Dream Team in America. The longest game in the Mario & Luigi line, played half in the waking world and half inside Luigi’s dreams. Europe got it on 12 July 2013 — a month before America and six days before Japan, which almost never happens.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (2014)
The first handheld Smash, with the full roster and Smash Run as its own mode. It is the reason a lot of 3DS consoles have worn circle pads — the original 3DS model struggles with it more than a New 3DS does.
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS (2016)
Level building on the touch screen with a large ready-made campaign from Nintendo itself. What it never had is the online course exchange the Wii U version had — so what you get today is the built-in courses and whatever you build. Priced accordingly, and still good value for the campaign alone.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions (2017)
The 2003 Game Boy Advance game rebuilt, with a second mode where you command Bowser’s troops. If you want the start of the Mario & Luigi series without hunting a GBA cartridge, this is it.
Mario Party: The Top 100 (2017)
A hundred minigames picked from the whole series with almost no board around them. That is either the point or the problem: it is the best minigame collection and the weakest Mario Party. Europe got it on 22 December 2017.
The 2001 GameCube game remade for the 3DS, with a co-operative mode and the boss rush added. Released very late in the console’s life, so print runs were small and it costs more than the sequel does.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey (2019)
The last Mario game released on a 3DS cartridge in Europe, on 25 January 2019 — a remake of the best-liked DS entry, with an extra strategy campaign. Scarce, because by then almost nobody was still buying 3DS games.
What the eShop closing changed
Nintendo closed the 3DS eShop in March 2023. Four Mario games existed only there — Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars, Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move and Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge — and none of them can be bought any more. They are not on the list above for that reason.
For everything else it put a floor under cartridge prices: the supply of physical copies is now fixed. A 3DS cartridge saves to the cartridge itself, with no battery to age out, so a tested copy bought today still works decades from now. Counterfeits exist but are far rarer here than on the Game Boy Advance.
Or buy one that has already been checked
Every 3DS cartridge we sell is checked for authenticity and play-tested on real hardware, with the save verified. We have been doing this since 2019, with 1400+ verified reviews at 5.0★, and we ship tracked to all 27 EU countries.
Browse tested 3DS gamesQuestions we get asked
How many Mario games are there on the Nintendo 3DS?
Twenty-three on a cartridge in Europe, from Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 in 2011 to Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey in 2019. That count includes the Yoshi, Luigi, Paper Mario, Mario Party, Mario & Sonic and sports games, because those are what people mean when they search this. It leaves out the download-only titles — Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure, Tipping Stars, Minis on the Move and the amiibo Challenge — which went with the eShop in March 2023.
Which Mario 3DS game should I buy first?
Super Mario 3D Land if you want a platformer, Mario Kart 7 if anyone else is going to play. Both are common, cheap and among the best games on the system. After those: Luigi’s Mansion 2 for something longer, and Super Smash Bros. if you want a fighting game in your pocket.
Why do some Mario 3DS games have a different name in Europe?
Three do, and it catches buyers out when they compare against an American list. Luigi’s Mansion 2 is Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon in America, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros. is Dream Team, and Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. is Paper Jam. The cartridges are the same games; only the box differs.
Can I still buy Mario 3DS games digitally?
No. Nintendo closed the 3DS eShop in March 2023, and with it every digital purchase route. A physical cartridge is now the only way to buy and play these games, which is why boxed copies have firmed up in price since.
Are 3DS games region-locked?
Yes. Unlike the DS, the 3DS family is region-locked: a European cartridge works in any European 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS, New 3DS or New 2DS XL, but an American or Japanese one will not. Everything we sell is the European version unless the product page says otherwise.
Do Mario DS games work on a 3DS?
Yes — every 3DS and 2DS plays DS cards, so the fourteen Mario DS games run on the same console. That makes one 3DS or 2DS enough for thirty-seven Mario games across two platforms. The reverse does not work: a 3DS cartridge will not fit a DS.
What is a “Nintendo Selects” copy?
A cheaper reprint of a title that sold well, with a red case instead of a white one. The game on the cartridge is identical to the first print; only the packaging differs. Collectors usually pay more for the first print, and our product pages say which one a copy is.
Do you ship Mario 3DS games across the EU?
Yes — tracked shipping from the Netherlands to all 27 EU countries, no customs charges inside the EU, and 30 days to return an order. Your country’s exact rate appears at checkout before you pay.
One console down: all Mario DS games, two down: all Mario GBA games — or the whole series in order. Same platform, different franchise: all Pokémon 3DS games and all Zelda 3DS games.
Dutch reader? Mario 3DS-games — dezelfde lijst in het Nederlands.
